Georgia’s first confirmed case of a horse infected with West Nile Virus (WNV) has prompted Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin to seek an earlier shipment of the vaccine recently approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). (Visit https://thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=1109.)

“We have contacted the manufacturer (Fort Dodge Animal Health) to see if we can be moved up in line,” said Commissioner Irvin.

Tests confirmed Aug. 15 that a 30-year-old mare that died in Thomas County, Georgia, earlier this month was infected with WNV.

Horses affected with WNV do not need to be quarantined because they cannot spread the disease to other horses or people. “Even if a mosquito bites an infected horse and then bites you or another horse, there is no transmission of the disease. Although this horse died, many recover, and it is likely that many horses recover from infection without even showing clinical signs of the illness,” said Irvin